PREP RECAP: Midfield girls win CCC Tourney over Wetumpka

Midfield’s Lauren Stokes drives the lane for a shot against the Wetumpka Indians in the Jack Schweers CCC Tourney championship game on Saturday at Trinity. Midfield won the tournament. (Tim Gayle)

By TIM GAYLE

Even as the Wetumpka Indians were hiiting shots from everywhere on the court and building a 12-point lead in the second quarter, Midfield coach Charles Thomas didn’t panic.

Thomas figured the Indians’ perimeter shooting would cool off and the Patriots would control the paint in the second half.

“They hit seven 3’s in that first half,” Thomas said. “They shot it really well. We just had to stay the course, get back defensively and they’ll miss some late and we’ll eventually make some shots.”

Thomas’ team rallied in the third quarter, outscoring the Indians 21-14 to regain the lead on the way to a 68-63 victory in the championship game of the 31st annual Jack Schweers Capital City Conference Tournament at Trinity on Saturday.

It was the second appearance in the tournament by Midfield (14-2), which lost to the host team in the semifinals of the 2024 tournament.

“Last year, we lost to Trinity by one point and they went on to win the 4A state title,” Thomas said. “(Trinity coach) Blake (Smith) is a great coach, they’re a great team and this is a great Jack Schweers tournament that they put on. To come back and win this tournament means everything. I think we’re the first Birmingham team to win it.”

Wetumpka scored 39 points in the first half, part of a hot shooting offense that placed five players in double figures. Aaliyah Humphrey led the Indians with 16 points, followed by Lexi Smith and Layla Culpepper with 12 points each, Mya Richardson with 11 and Queen Ballard with 10.

Lauren Stokes led Midfield with 23 points, followed by Jazmin Johnson with 17, Kimiya Webb with 16 and Navada Bush with eight.

Stokes was chosen as the tournament’s most valuable player and was joined on the all-tournament team by teammates Johnson and Webb, along with Humphrey and Ballard of Wetumpka.

In the boys’ final, Gulf Shores held off Marina down the stretch to win the championship game 54-45. The Vikings, from Huntingdon Beach, Calif., pulled within 38-36 at the end of the third quarter, but could get no closer as the Dolphins made key shots in the final minutes to secure the win.

Shane Gloger led Marina (5-7) with 15 points, followed by Zep Boucher with 10 points and Carter Jedlick with eight.

Sam Vincent led Gulf Shores with 30 points, followed by Levi Howard with 15. Vincent was chosen as the most valuable player and was joined on the all-tournament team by Howard and McKlain Watts of Gulf Shores and Gloger and Brody Schatzman of Marina.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Catholic 53, Trinity 44

Jordan Robinson scored 20 points to lead Catholic to a 53-44 win over Trinity in the consolation game of the Jack Schweers Capital City Conference Tournament on Saturday at Trinity.

Trinity hit 10 3-pointers in the contest, as opposed to just six field goals, but couldn’t keep pace with the Knights, trailing by a point after the first quarter, by three points at the half and by six points entering the final quarter.

Frances Rogers added 11 points for the Knights, followed by Hannah Smith with 10 and Kierstyn Green with eight.

Ellie Causey led the Wildcats with 15 points, followed by Lilly Smith with 11, Emory Causey with nine and Lizzie Causey with six.  

Catholic (7-4) will travel to play in a tournament at Hazel Green on Dec. 29.

Trinity (9-5) will play at Brew Tech on Jan. 2 before facing Catholic in a 4A Area 5 game.

St. Michael’s 61, Alabama Christian 27

MOBILE -- Sam Kokoszka scored 28 points and Caroline Callahan added 17 as St. Michael’s (10-1) defeated Alabama Christian 61-27 in the inaugural Mobile Christian Hoops Classic on Saturday.

Campbell Hammett led Alabama Christian (5-7) with 13 points and four rebounds. Peri Laine Holley added seven points and three rebounds.

Prattville Christian 44, G.W. Long 42

Reagan Houston hit seven 3-pointers to help the Panthers snap a four-game losing streak with a win on Saturday in the final round of the Jack Schweers Capital City Conference Tournament at Trinity.

Houston finished with 21 points and four rebounds, followed by Laney Little with nine points, 10 rebounds and four steals, Avery Mann with six points and Leah Cate Wilson with four points and 14 rebounds. Kayleigh Arthur added four points, while Baylee Rogers had six assists and four rebounds.

PCA (5-11) will return to action on Jan. 5 with a home game against Billingsley.

Mobile Christian 55, Alabama Christian 18

MOBILE -- Mobile Christian held Alabama Christian to just three field goals in the game in a 55-18 win over the Eagles in the inaugural MCS Holiday Hoops Classic on Friday.

A bright spot for the Eagles was at the free-throw line where ACA sank 10 of 13 attempts.

Hadley Kelly scored 12 of her 14 points to get Mobile Christian (7-5) out to an early lead.

Olivia Mays led ACA (5-6) with six points, followed by Adalyn Newkirk with five points and four rebounds.

Glenwood School 61, Prattville Christian 40

Reagan Houston scored 17 points to lead the Panthers in a 61-40 loss to the Gators on Friday in the Jack Schweers Capital City Conference Tournament at Trinity.

Baylee Rogers added seven points and five rebounds, Laney Little had five points and 10 rebounds and Leah Cate Wilson had four points and eight rebounds. Avery Mann scored five points.

BOYS BASKETBALL

St. James 49, Auburn 43

AUBURN -- The Trojans closed out play in the annual Reindeer Games with a 49-43 win over Class 7A host Auburn 49-43 on Saturday in the Auburn gym.

Morgan Lilly led the Trojans with 17 points, six rebounds and five steals, followed by Natalie Barton with 16 points, three rebounds, two steals and three assists and Kaitlin Mitchell with eight points, two rebounds, a steal and three assists.

St. James (12-1) will play in the Ball ‘n’ Prep Showcase at Hazel Green High on Dec. 29, facing Central-Phenix City and Hazel Green on the first day of the tournament.

St. James 51, Highland Home 39

BRANTLEY -- Wilson Aman scored 21 points and dished out six assists to lead the Trojans to a 51-39 win over the Flying Squadron in the fourth annual Tony Stallworth Invitational in the Brantley gym on Friday.

Jordan Williams added 14 points and seven rebounds, followed by Dylan Hines with five points and eight rebounds and Andrew Shalayda with four points and 10 rebounds.

Montgomery Academy 62, Oak Mountain 42

ORANGE BEACH -- Braden Gordon had 22 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals to lead the defending 3A state champions to a 20-point win over Class 7A Oak Mountain in the “Battle for the Board” Tournament on Friday.

MA jumped out of the gate with 24 points in the first quarter while building an eight-point halftime lead. MA extended the lead in the third and fourth quarters by outscoring Oak Mountain 17-11 in each quarter.

Mason Ellis added 16 points, four assists and five rebounds, followed by Will Renfroe with 12 points and seven rebounds and Jarrett Friendly with 11 points, nine rebounds, three assists and three blocked shots.

Montgomery Academy (7-2) will play Orange Beach in the semifinals on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

Hooper Academy 64, North River Christian 51

GREENSBORO -- Kingston White scored  10 of his 26 points in a third-quarter explosion as the Colts rallied from a halftime deficit to grab the championship of the Southern Academy Christmas Tournament with a 64-51 win over North River Christian on Friday afternoon.

White earned most valuable player honors in the process, rallying his team after the Colts fell behind 34-28 at the half. Hooper outscored North River 25-6 in the third quarter to take control of the game.

Jacoby Rabb added 13 points for the Colts. Rabb and Jeremy Griggs joined White on the all-tournament team.

Kayson Dennison led North River with 30 points, followed by Austin Harmon with 12.

Hooper (10-3) returns home for a Monday game.

Prattville Christian 60, BTW Magnet 31

Carter Fiacco scored 34 points and pulled down seven rebounds to lead the Panthers to a 60-31 win over BTW Magnet in the Jack Schweers Capital City Conference Tournament at Trinity on Friday.

Wade Mora added eight points and five rebounds, followed by Justin Chapman with seven points, 10 rebounds and four steals and Cody Chapman with six points, seven steals, five rebounds and four assists. Ethan Girlie had three points and seven assists and CJ Robinson grabbed nine rebounds.

PCA (6-9) will return to action in the tournament on Saturday against the Catholic-G.W. Long winner.

Mobile Christian 49, Alabama Christian 33

MOBILE -- Hakeem Winston had 18 points for Mobile Christian in the inaugural MCS Holiday Hoops Classic in a 49-33 win over Alabama Christian on Friday.

Levi Summers scored 12 points and pulled down six rebounds for Alabama Christian (5-7), followed by Mason Henry with six points and three rebounds, Ethan Capps with five points and Noah Shack with five points and three rebounds.

Pike Road 68, Brew Tech 62

Jamall Canty had a double double with 15 points, 12 rebounds and three assists to lead the Patriots to a 68-62 win over the Rams in the Brew Tech gym on Thursday.

Kody Calhoun-Perry added 12 points and four assists, followed by Derrick Wilson with nine points and five rebounds and Jaxson Penry with six points and nine assists.

Pike Road (9-4) returns home to play Handley on Friday.